


A Series of Unfortunate Events

by laughter_now



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Gen, Humor, Mistaken Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-31
Updated: 2012-07-31
Packaged: 2017-11-11 03:06:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/473821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laughter_now/pseuds/laughter_now
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kyle receives a special assignment from Louis. Sadly, the instructions he's given are somewhat lacking. It's not Kyle's fault, really. After all, how many elderly ladies could possibly step off the elevator at Pearson Hardman at precisely 11 am?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Series of Unfortunate Events

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Suits. No copyright infringement is intended.  
> This was written as a gift to yamikinoko at the Suits Exchange.

**A Series of Unfortunate Events**  
– or –  
 _The day Kyle Durant found out that there are more elderly ladies in New York than he previously assumed_

  
  
  
It starts, as these things often do, with a set of instructions that in hindsight maybe should have been a little clearer. In this instance, it's Louis who is giving these fateful instructions to Kyle, and maybe the instructions are lacking some precision because the junior partner is busy sorting through papers and packing them into his briefcase while he is talking.  
  
"We're expecting a client later this morning," he tells the associate without looking up. "Martha Rostovsky. She's been one of Hendricks' clients for over a decade, but now that he's retiring someone else needs to take over her account."  
  
Kyle nods dutifully.  
  
"What do you want me to do?"  
  
That statement makes Louis look up sharply. "What I want you to do is make sure that she ends up becoming _my_ client. Rostovsky is old money, lots of old money with plenty of different businesses she's involved in. Whoever is lucky enough to get her as a client will see their billables go through the roof, and naturally I want that to be _my_ billables. Jessica wants her to take a look around and meet a few of the partners before she makes her decision, but I fully intend on giving her a few little nudges in the right direction right from the start. I'd do it myself, but Mrs. Rostovsky is scheduled to arrive at eleven and I have a meeting at the courthouse at ten, so I probably won't be back in time. Which is where you come in."  
  
Kyle nods eagerly, though it's clear from his expression that he's still not entirely sure what Louis wants from him.  
  
"All right. So…I'll take her to your office then and make sure that she waits there until you're back?"  
  
Louis looks up sharply.  
  
"What you're going to do is you're going to make sure that Miss Rostovsky gets exactly what she wants until I come back. If she wants to drink a coffee while she waits, you're going to caffeinate her, and if she wants the grand tour of the firm, you'd better be the best damn guide she's ever seen. You do whatever it takes to make her happy and keep her happy, and in between that you are going to let her know that I am the one lawyer in this firm who will treat her account with the same amount of diligence. And whatever you do, you make sure that she doesn't meet Harvey along the way. He's angling to charm his way into her account, but this time he's not going to get what he wants. Jessica is out on a meeting until noon, and until she's back I want the Rostovsky account to be mine. That's what I want you to do. Any questions?"  
  
Kyle shrugs. "Not really. I'll simply meet her at the elevators. How do I recognize her?"  
  
Louis picks up his coat and his briefcase and levels a withering glare at Kyle.  
  
"I don't know. She's been a client for over a decade, but in all this time she's never set foot into the firm. Her whole business gets handled by intermediates, mostly her business managers, which is another reason why I want this account. She doesn't care about how many billables they rack up as long as she has the feeling that everything is running smoothly. So no, I have no idea how you're going to recognize her, but an associate who wants to make a career at this firm needs to be able to figure this out on his own. She's an old lady who's scheduled to arrive here at 11 am. Just how many elderly ladies do you think are going to step off that elevator at exactly that time?"  
  
In hindsight, that last sentence turns out to be the fateful one, not that either Kyle or Louis are aware of it at this point of time. Louis leaves for his appointment, while Kyle returns to his desk to get some work done, one eye always on the clock so that he doesn't miss Mrs. Rostovsky's arrival.  
  
After all, Louis is right. How many old ladies could possibly step off the elevator right at that time?  
  
  


**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

  
  
  
At five to eleven, Kyle steps into the reception area in front of the elevators. Martha, the main receptionist, interrupts her typing as he stops in front of her desk.  
  
"I'm going to pick up Mrs. Rostovsky."  
  
Martha's perfectly plucked eyebrows pull into a frown at the announcement, and her body language immediately becomes defensive. "Miss Pearson instructed me to call Chloe when she arrives. Mrs. Rostovsky is supposed to get a tour of the firm and meet some of the partners before Miss Pearson comes back; it's all set up."  
  
"Change of plans," Kyle informs her with as much self-assurance as he can muster. "I'm taking over for Chloe. Mrs. Rostovsky is an important client, and it's going to leave a much better impression if the person who is introducing her to the firm is a lawyer, and not an assistant. No offence."  
  
Martha shrugs, though her eyes narrow and it's obvious from her expression that she doesn't particularly care for Kyle's last remark.  
  
"If you say so, by all means go ahead. I'll let Chloe know that she can focus on her lowly duties as an _assistant_ , then."  
  
She gets up and after a quick hushed conversation with one of the other receptionists she leaves, her heels clacking along the floor as she walks down the corridor without even so much as another look at Kyle who is still standing in front of her desk. Normally, Kyle would take offence at the behavior, but at that moment the elevator chimes as it arrives on the floor and he turns around quickly.  
  
It is in fact an old woman who steps out of the elevator. Her white hair is neatly coiffed and she's dressed in a long skirt and blouse, with a wool coat on top to ward off the February chill outside. The clothes look nice and well-kept, though not as exclusive and expensive as one might expect from a woman of Mrs. Rostovsky's wealth. However, it's not Kyle's job to worry about any of their clients' attire. Right now, it's his job to make sure that Mrs. Rostovsky signs her account over to Louis, and to make sure that Harvey Specter and his golden boy Mike Ross don't even get anywhere near this exclusive client before Louis has signed her. So he plasters a warm and welcoming smile onto his face and walks over towards the elderly lady.  
  
She looks up at his determined approach, her expression a little too shy for someone of her importance.  
  
"Good morning. Maybe you can help me, young man. I'm supposed to meet someone here. My name is Ross…"  
  
"Say no more," Kyle interrupts her gently. "There's been a small change in plans, and now I'm here to show you around. I'm Kyle Durant, one of the associates here at Pearson Hardman. If there's anything you need, just let me know and I'll make sure you're not lacking anything."  
  
"Well, thank you. But I really don't want to keep anyone around here from doing their work. If anything changed about what was arranged, just show me a place where I can wait. I don't want to be a bother."  
  
"You're absolutely no bother," Kyle assures her. "Let me take your coat for you, and then I'll show you around if you want to. I was told you've never been at the office before, so I'm sure you're curious about it. Can I get you anything before we start?"  
  
He helps her out of her woolen coat and folds it over his arm as she answers his last question with a shake of her head. "No, thank you very much, Mr. Durant."  
  
"If you at any point change your mind, you just let me know. Now, how about we put your coat away and get started. This way please."  
  
With a movement that is almost half a bow, Kyle gestures down one of the corridors. They're going to put Mrs. Rostovsky's coat into Louis' office for now, which is already one step towards ensuring that at one point they're going to have to return there. He makes an almost automatic movement to allow Mrs. Rostovsky to hook her arm through his, but the old lady seems to be firm on her feet for now and not in the need of guidance, so he straightens up again and falls into step beside her.  
  
"Pearson Hardman actually occupies more than one floor in this building. On this floor, you'll find the partners' offices and the associates' area…"  
  
They continue on down the corridor as Kyle keeps summarizing the most important facts about the Pearson Hardman offices. He's so focused on leaving a good impression that everything else fades into the background. They're well out of earshot already by the time the receptionists notice that the main computer has frozen up and start to crowd around it in an attempt to restart it. Kyle doesn't notice any of that, and probably he wouldn't care about a computer problem in the reception are even if he was standing right next to it while it was happening. He wouldn't care about the frantic calls to the IT-department, either, or about the fact that the main receptionist Martha decided to take an early lunch break with Chloe and her colleagues can't reach her.  
  
What Kyle _would_ care about, however, if only he was around to see it, is that a few minutes after two of the IT-guys arrive to fix the computer the elevator doors open again, revealing a white-haired, elderly woman stepping out onto the floor. She's dressed well, wearing a fine, warm coat over her clothes against the cold weather outside, and her short hair is coiffed neatly, with no strand out of place. Kyle would indeed be very interested to see that after a second or two of looking around, the woman steps up to the reception desk and waits for a break in the computer-crash induced chaos to introduce herself as Mrs. Rostovsky.  
  
Kyle would definitely be interested in _that_.  
  
As it is, Kyle is not around to see it, and he doesn't waste one single thought on the possibility that something like this could ever happen.  
  
After all, how many old ladies could possibly arrive at the firm at around 11 am?  
  
  


**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

  
  
  
At around a quarter past eleven, Mike Ross comes hurrying into the reception area, his eyes scanning the assembled people as if searching for somebody. He takes in the two guys from the IT department, one sitting in front of the main computer at the reception, the other crouching next to the tower, with two receptionists standing behind them watching their every move in rapt attention. It looks as if he's about to go over and ask what the problem is, but then he spots the top of a head of white hair in the sitting area beside the reception and quickly directs his steps into that direction.  
  
"There you are, I'm sorry I'm running late…oh my gosh, I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else."  
  
The elderly lady who is sitting in the chair, coat folded across her lap and her purse on the seat beside her, looks up at him with a small smile.  
  
"Oh, it's no problem at all, young man. It's all a bit of a pandemonium here right now." She gestures towards the people assembled behind the reception counter.  
  
"Is there anything I can help you with?"  
  
The woman shrugs. "I'm not sure. I had an appointment at eleven, but I was running a bit late. Now, there seems to be some sort of problem with the computer – a _snafu_ , one of the young men called it, whatever that is supposed to be – and they can't access the calendar to see who was supposed to meet me here. The poor young ladies can't reach their colleague who knows about the appointment, either. They were very flustered and apologetic, so I offered to wait until they had it all figured out. It's one of those problems with all this new technology. Back in my day, receptionists kept appointments in a book. Sometimes I think it was easier that way."  
  
"I'm inclined to agree with you there," Mike says with a laugh and stretches out his hand. "I'm Mike Ross, an associate here at Pearson Hardman. Maybe I can help you out."  
  
The woman takes his hand and shakes it. "Martha Rostovsky. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ross, and if you can take the time to help out an old lady, I'd really appreciate it."  
  
Mike sinks down in a seat opposite of Mrs. Rostovsky and shakes his head. "It's no bother at all. Now, who were you supposed to meet?"  
  
"Well, I have an appointment with Miss Pearson at noon, but she already told me that she won't be in until then. You see, for the past twelve years Mr. Hendricks was handling my legal matters, but now that he's retiring at the end of the month, I need to find a new attorney. To be honest with you, Mr. Ross, I normally leave all these things to my business managers, so I'm not very familiar with the firm. Mr. Hendricks always handled things wonderfully. But the decision who is going to handle my affairs in the future is one I can't delegate to someone else, so Miss Pearson and I agreed that I'd come to the firm in person, get shown around a little and meet some of the partners here so that I can make an educated decision. But I don't know who exactly was supposed to meet me here."  
  
Mike nods in understanding. "I see. I'm really sorry for the inconvenience, Mrs. Rostovsky. But now that I'm here, maybe I can help you out."  
  
"That would be wonderful." The smile she gives Mike is warm and grateful, and he gets up and holds out his arm towards her. Mrs. Rostovsky takes the offered arm, hooking her own arm through it as Mike takes her coat off her and folds it over his free forearm.  
  
"My suggestion is that we go and see Donna. She's Harvey Specter's assistant – he's a senior partner here – and she knows everything that's going on at this firm. She'll be able to figure out who was supposed to meet with you and we'll make sure to get your appointment here back on track. If there's anything you want to know in the meantime, don't hesitate to ask me and I'll do my best to fill you in."  
  
Mrs. Rostovsky shakes her head. "I'm sure Miss Pearson only had the best intentions when she offered to have someone guide me around the firm, but to be completely honest with you, I don't need to know the layout of the firm to make my decision. Mr. Hendricks did a fantastic job working for me, I'm sure the inner workings of this firm are going just fine even without me sticking my nose into those affairs. All I need to know is that I can trust my next lawyer to have my best interests at heart."  
  
Mike laughs. "A lot of people would say that lawyers are not exactly the most trustworthy kind of people in general."  
  
Mrs. Rostovsky's own laughter is warm and gentle. "Such a statement from someone who's a lawyer himself. But in all seriousness, Mr. Ross. I have spent a large part of my life worrying about the family money and businesses. I don't want that to dominate my life until the day I die. I just want to make sure that everything that needs to be taken care of is going to be taken care of because I have people in my businesses depending on it. Mr. Hendricks left me with a very good impression of this firm, and he recommended a few of his colleagues to become his successor, but that still leaves me with a decision about matters that I haven't really spent much thought on during the past decade or so."  
  
She stops for a moment and looks up at Mike. "What would you do in my place?"  
  
"Me?" Mike takes a small startled step to the side, even though he doesn't let go of Mrs. Rostovsky's arm. "I don't think I'm in any position to give you advice on something as important as that."  
  
"But you work here. And you have a different perspective on things than I do. So theoretically, if someone in my situation came to you and asked you to recommend one of the lawyers here, what would you say?"  
  
Mike takes a moment to think about it, then he shrugs. "I would tell you to go with your gut. Hendrickson knows what kind of lawyer would be best to handle your accounts, so take a closer look at the lawyers he suggested to you. And then chose who you feel most comfortable with. Everyone is a bit different, and each lawyer has his own style of handling things, but one thing everyone here at the firm has in common is that they all will do everything to get the best results for their clients. So whoever you decide to transfer your account to in the end, I'm sure you'll be in good hands."  
  
Mrs. Rostovsky looks at his face for a moment, as if searching him for any sign of dishonesty, then she nods with a smile and starts walking down the corridor again.  
  
"A very Solomonian answer, I'll keep that under advisement. So tell me Mr. Ross, what task am I keeping you from with my problems? You seemed to be looking for someone earlier."  
  
Mike's steps slow a little and he bites his lip.  
  
"My grandmother. She's supposed to come visit me for an early lunch and she should be here by now, but either her cab got held up in traffic or she got lost somehow. I was hoping she was waiting for me at the reception desk."  
  
"Maybe you just missed each other and she's waiting for you in your office."  
  
At that, Mike huffs out a small laugh. "I don't have an own office, and in any case she's never been here before, so she wouldn't know where to find it. Her health kept her from coming for a visit since I started here, but she's been doing a lot better lately so I finally wanted to show her where I work. But for that, I have to find her first."  
  
Mrs. Rostovsky smiles gently and pats Mike's arm where it's linked into hers.  
  
"I'm sure you just missed each other. I think you don't need to worry about a thing, Mr. Ross. It's probably impossible to get permanently lost in these offices."  
  
"That is true. And here we are."  
  
They step up in front of Donna's desk where the red-headed assistant is busy typing something on her computer. At their approach, she looks up without interrupting the movement of her fingers on the keys.  
  
"Mike. Weren't you going to meet your grandmother?"  
  
"I was, but then I found Mrs. Rostovsky in the reception area. They seem to be having computer issues there…"  
  
"A _snafu_ ," Mrs. Rostovsky supplies helpfully. "The young technician called it a _snafu_."  
  
Donna flashes her a smile, eyes crinkling in amusement. "Those are the worst, I hear."  
  
"In any case, they're having computer issues and can't figure out the details of Mrs. Rostovsky's appointment. Apparently, someone was supposed to show her around the office before she meets some of the partners."  
  
"Say no more," Donna instructs, one finger raised at Mike to silence him while the other hand is already reaching for the phone. "Chloe was supposed to show Mrs. Rostovsky around. I'll call her right away."  
  
She dials and listens to the phone ring for maybe ten, fifteen seconds, then puts the receiver back down.  
  
"She doesn't seem to be at her desk. That's unexpected, but I assume that there must have been some miscommunication. I'm sorry, Mrs. Rostovsky, but we'll just make the best of it. Why don't you take a seat in Mr. Specter's office while we sort out this… _snafu_."  
  
Donna gets up from her seat and goes over to open the door to Harvey's office. Mike guides Mrs. Rostovsky inside and over to take a seat on the sofa.  
  
"Harvey's not in?" he asks Donna, who shakes her head in response.  
  
"He's in the building, but he went to see one of the paralegals about some contract information they need to look up for him. He should be back in a while."  
  
Mrs. Rostovsky looks around the office a little uncomfortably. "I really don't want to be a bother for anybody. I can't occupy Mr. Specter's office like that, I'm sure he has work to do once he gets back."  
  
Donna steps up to her and smiles, one of her warm and genuine smiles that immediately put others at ease.  
  
"Don't you worry about a thing, Mrs. Rostovsky. Mr. Specter will be thrilled to meet you. Now, can I get you anything while you wait? A coffee, a tea, some water or a snack?"  
  
"A tea would be lovely, dear. Thank you so much."  
  
With another smile Donna turns around and is gone, leaving Mike to stare after her in a state of surprise. It has to be the first time during his year of working at Pearson Hardman that Donna offered to get someone a coffee as part of her duties. At least she never offered to get _him_ a coffee, and he has been rightfully afraid of her from the very first day on, so to be fair it never even crossed his mind to ask. Still won't, because he's not suicidal.  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Ross. I believe I'm in good hands now, so you'd better go and find your grandmother."  
  
Mrs. Rostovsky stretches out her hand towards Mike, and he takes it with a smile and shakes it.  
  
"It was my pleasure, Mrs. Rostovsky. I hope your appointment gets back on track. I'm sure you'll make the right decision regarding your lawyer."  
  
"I'm sure I will." She pats his hand again before she releases it, and with a smile Mike turns around and leaves the office to find his grandmother.  
  
  


**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

  
  
  
"And here we're back at Mr. Litt's office." Kyle stops in front of the glass doors and turns back towards the woman he still assumes is Mrs. Rostovsky. She has been taking in all the information Kyle gave her with an open curiosity, though some of the details have clearly gone over her head. But she seems excited about the tour she's been given, just as if she has never seen the inside of a law firm like Pearson Hardman before, and its inner workings are a big mystery that's finally revealed to her. Still, she seems antsy somehow, as if she's anxious about something. It's a situation Kyle doesn't quite know how to handle, and he has shown her around the entire floor already, so unless she's interested in taking a closer look at the Pearson Hardman library, he's all out of ideas on entertaining the woman. He is visibly relieved he spots Louis come down the corridor.  
  
"Excuse me for just one moment. Mr. Litt will be with you in just a second."  
  
He hurries towards Louis who is already zeroing in on the alleged Mrs. Rostovsky.  
  
"Is that…"  
  
"Mrs. Rostovsky, yes. I've shown her around, and I've introduced her to both Sanders and Petersen, but we didn't spend more than a few minutes with either of them so nobody had the time to even mention taking over her account. She's all set for meeting you."  
  
"Good," Louis says without looking at Kyle. "Any sign of Harvey?"  
  
"No, we met neither him nor Mike while we were here."  
  
"Good. I'll take over from here, but I want you to stick around for a while in case Mrs. Rostovsky needs something."  
  
He walks over towards the woman waiting in front of his office, a wide smile on his face and his hand outstretched.  
  
"Good morning, I'm Louis Litt. Sorry to keep your waiting, but unfortunately my appointment could not be rescheduled on short notice. I trust that Mr. Durant took good care of you?"  
  
"Oh, he was absolutely lovely. And I have to say that your firm is very impressive. I heard much about it, of course, but I never imagined it to be quite this…grand."  
  
Louis' smile widens even further. "Thank you. Now, after all that walking around you must be ready to sit down and have a cup of coffee or some refreshments before we continue. I'm sure Kyle here can get you something."  
  
Kyle immediately steps forward. "Of course. What can I get you? Some coffee, tea, or maybe a water?"  
  
"Really, you don't need to take any more time out of your schedule. I'm sure you're all very busy here. I can just wait until I'm meeting with…"  
  
"Nonsense," Louis interrupts her gently. "It's always been my dictum that the client and his or her wishes have absolute priority. A good lawyer takes the time whenever it's needed. So whatever you wish for, don't hesitate to ask and I will personally make sure that you'll get it."  
  
A frown appears on Mrs. Ross' forehead at his words. "But I really don't think that…"  
  
"And who do we have here?", a new voice drowns out the rest of Mrs. Ross' answer, and Louis' face actually turns into a grimace as he turns around to find himself face to face with Harvey, three-piece suit as immaculate as ever as he comes to a stop in front of them. Almost unconsciously, Louis takes a small step to the side, as if that would be enough to shield his potential client from Harvey's view.  
  
"We're about to start a meeting, so while I'd love to stay here and chat, we have to go. Now, if you'll excuse us, Harvey…"  
  
"You're Harvey Specter?"  
  
All eyes turn towards the elderly lady at the sound of her voice, and it is Harvey who catches himself first and holds out his hand with a smile on his face.  
  
"Indeed I am, and it's a real shame that Mr. Litt here didn't introduce us. I'm Harvey Specter."  
  
She takes his hand with a smile and shakes it. "I'm Mary Ross. I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Specter."  
  
"Only good things, I hope."  
  
"Wait, wait, wait," Louis interrupts before Mrs. Ross can answer. "Mrs. Ros… _tovsky_?"  
  
"No." She shakes her head. "Mary Ross. I'm Mike's grandmother."  
  
Kyle takes an involuntary step backwards at the admission while Louis is gasping silently, completely at a loss for words. Harvey doesn't even bother to hide the grin that's spreading on his face as he stands there, hands in the pockets of his pants and bouncing a little on the balls of his feet. Mrs. Ross looks from one to the other in obvious confusion.  
  
"Were you expecting someone else?"  
  
Louis glares at Harvey, but quickly turns towards Kyle. "You were supposed to meet Mrs. _Rostovsky_ at the reception desk. How did this happen?"  
  
"I…I don't know, I…she was…I thought it was Mrs. Rostovsky I was meeting…"  
  
Mrs. Ross looks shocked. "I'm so sorry. Did I cause any trouble? I was supposed to meet my grandson, and when Mr. Durant immediately came over and said there had been a change of plans, I assumed Mike was still busy and had asked one of his colleagues to show me around. I did introduce myself, but maybe I wasn't speaking loud enough, I do that sometimes. I'm sorry if I caused any trouble, but let me assure you Mr. Litt that Mr. Durant took very good care of me and was very courteous. I'm sorry if I was keeping him from his work."  
  
Harvey steps forward and places a gentle hand on Mrs. Ross' shoulder.  
  
"Now, don't you worry about a thing, Mrs. Ross. It was a little mix-up, but I assure you that you're not at fault for anything. I suggest we get this cleared up, I'm sure Mike is already looking for you."  
  
She gives Harvey a grateful smile, though it's still somewhat shaky, and he squeezes her shoulder in reassurance. Looking around the corridor, Harvey spots another of the associates coming into their direction and waves him over.  
  
"Harold, come over here for a second."  
  
The curly-haired associate immediately comes over, a folder with files clutched nervously in his hand.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Specter?"  
  
"Harold, this is Mrs. Ross, Mike's grandmother. I want you to take her to my office and ask Donna to look after her. And then see if you can find Mike, I'm sure he's looking for her already." Turning back towards Mrs. Ross, he gently steers her over towards Harold. "Mrs. Ross, this is Harold. He'll be taking you to my office until we've found Mike. Donna will be delighted to finally meet you."  
  
Mrs. Ross hooks her arm into the arm Harold offers her and turns to flash a relieved smiled at Harvey before they set off down the corridor. "Thank you, Mr. Specter."  
  
"You're welcome, and it's been a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm sure we'll see each other later."  
  
Harold and Mrs. Ross leave, and Harvey waits until they're out of earshot before he turns back towards Louis and Kyle, not bothering at all to hide the smile on his face or the amusement in his voice.  
  
"You thought Mike's grandmother was a _client_?"  
  
"I instructed Kyle to look after Mrs. Rostovsky until I get here," Louis sputters. "How could this happen, Kyle?"  
  
"I don't know!" Kyle's voice cracks into a higher pitch in his desperate attempt to defend himself. "You said to look out for an elderly lady, and so I did. How was I supposed to know that Mike's grandmother was coming for a visit today of all days? _How many elderly ladies are going to step off the elevator at eleven am_ , that's what you said!"  
  
"Apparently, the answer to that question is one more than you think." Harvey chuckles. "God, Louis, this is the best entertainment I've had in weeks."  
  
"So glad you consider this amusing, Harvey. What is Ross' grandmother doing here, anyway? We're a law firm, not a community center!"  
  
Harvey crosses his arms in front of his chest and his gaze hardens. "Mike cleared that visit with me and with security days ago. He's supposed to take and early lunch with his grandmother, and last I checked even our associates are free to do whatever they please during their lunch hour. You probably wouldn't even have noticed that his grandmother was around if Kyle here hadn't granny-napped her at the elevators."  
  
"I didn't!" Kyle defends himself weakly. "She never once said that she was supposed to meet Mike!"  
  
Harvey raises an eyebrow. "I'm pretty damn sure she never said her name was _Rostovsky_ , either. You know what they say about assuming, don't you? Face it Kyle, you screwed that one up. Besides, whether or not you should have known that Mike's grandmother wasn't your client isn't even the most important thing right now."  
  
"Oh, no?"  
  
"No. Think about it, Kyle. I'd expect someone who went to Harvard law school to be able to figure this out on his own. If the woman you thought was Mrs. Rostovsky turns out to be Mike's grandmother, the really important question is – where is the _real_ Mrs. Rostovsky?"  
  
Kyle pales visibly, and without a word Louis storms into his office and picks up his phone. He grows visibly agitated during the call, and in the end he barks a few angry commands into the phone before he slams down the receiver again.  
  
"The reception desk says Mrs. Rostovsky arrived a few minutes past eleven. Nobody was there to meet her," he says this with a pointed glare into Kyle's direction, "and they had some computer issues, so Mrs. Rostovsky was settled in the waiting area until the question of her appointment was figured out. The receptionist checked, and she's no longer there, though security has no record of her leaving the building again, either."  
  
Harvey's smile turns into a full-blown grin. "So an elderly client with a multi-million dollar account is aimlessly wandering these halls somewhere. God, this is amazing."  
  
"This isn't funny, Harvey."  
  
"From where I'm standing it's downright hilarious. I've heard of lawyers losing clients before, but you've got to be the first lawyer I met who managed to _physically_ lose his client. Congratulations, Louis. You've reached new heights."  
  
"Once you're done gloating…"  
  
"Oh, I'm nowhere near done gloating. This is going to provide me with entertainment for weeks to come, trust me."  
  
Louis' face reddens. "Then maybe you can interrupt your gloating for a few minutes and help us find Mrs. Rostovsky before she decides to take that considerable portfolio you mentioned somewhere else."  
  
"I'd love to, Louis. Trust me, I'd love nothing more than to be part of this search and rescue mission, but I've got real work to do, for real clients whose whereabouts aren't unknown…" At that moment, the phone in his pocket begins to ring and Harvey flashes Louis a fake-rueful smile. "And I really have to take this. Who knows, it could be a client who got lost and needs directions."  
  
He unbuttons his suit and takes out his phone, stepping a little ways down the corridor to bring himself out of earshot. Checking the display, he answers the call and brings the phone up to his ear.  
  
"Donna!"  
  
 _"I thought you might be interested to know that there's a tea party currently taking place in your office."_  
  
Harvey frowns a little at that statement. "You calling it a party implies that there's more than one person participating, and I'm fairly sure I only sent one elderly lady there. What's going on?"  
  
 _"Mike dropped off Mrs. Rostovsky here a little ago. Apparently, he picked her up in the reception area because nobody was around to meet her when she arrived. We set her up in your office to wait while I tried to figure out the details of her appointment, but just as I was about to call you, Harold brought Mike's grandmother here, as well."_  
  
Harvey smiles, his eyes automatically seeking out Louis further down the corridor, where he is berating Kyle for his screw-up.  
  
"Oh, this is priceless. Louis thinks Kyle lost her, you should see this. I'm pretty sure he's about to burst a vein or something."  
  
Donna chuckles. _"I expect a full report once you get back. And remember that you have a camera phone for a reason. But do you know where Mike is? He left to look for his grandmother, but he's not answering his phone."_  
  
"Probably left it on his desk – again. But no, he isn't here. I'll go look for him, unless you need me to come back to smooth Mrs. Rostovsky's feathers."  
  
 _"No, she's enjoying herself, actually. I've set them up with tea and cookies, and she and Mrs. Ross seem to get along like a house on fire. Apparently, the late Mr. Rostovsky was a huge jazz fan, so Mrs. Rostovsky is admiring your record collection while she's swapping stories with Mike's grandmother. Give it another ten minutes and they'll break out the family photos. I'll let you know if anything changes. But maybe you should let Louis know that we found his client."_  
  
Harvey gives it some thought, but with another look down the corridor where Louis has talked himself in a full-blown rant by now, he shakes his head.  
  
"Is Jessica back yet?"  
  
 _"No, she won't be back until right before her appointment with Mrs. Rostovsky at noon."_  
  
"Then let's leave Louis to stew for a little while longer. Serves him right for trying to snatch the client away before anyone else could meet her. Besides, I'd love to see how he tries to explain to Jessica that he lost Mrs. Rostovsky."  
  
 _"That's a little harsh, isn't it?"_  
  
"Oh, but it's so much fun to watch him squirm. All right, I'll go see if I can find Mike, just give me a call when Jessica comes back."  
  
 _"Will do. I've got to go make some more tea and try to sneak a look at Mike's baby pictures."_  
  
She disconnects, and Harvey puts the phone back into his inside pocket with a smile. Down the corridor Louis seems to be done berating Kyle and the two of them look to be locked in preparations of a retrieval plan for their errant client. As much as Harvey would love to stick around and see them check all the ladies' bathrooms, he has an errant associate of his own to find and reunite with his grandmother.  
  
  


**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

  
  
  
It's 11:50 when Jessica steps off the elevator. At first glance, everything in the reception area looks perfectly normal. Martha, the main receptionist, is on the phone, though maybe she looks a little more harried than usual, and there's a young man from the IT department seated behind her desk, so it's easy to come to the conclusion that it's a computer issue that has Martha a little worked up.  
  
What definitely isn't normal, though, is that Louis is lingering near the elevators, holding Kyle Durant by the sleeve of his suit jacket as if he's afraid the associate is going to bolt. The two of them look distinctly nervous, and move towards her as soon as she steps onto the floor.  
  
"Jessica…"  
  
"Louis, whatever it is, it's going to have to wait. I have a meeting with Mrs. Rostovsky in less than ten minutes, so I'm on a tight schedule."  
  
"Actually, it's about Mrs. Rostovsky."  
  
Jessica was about to brush past Louis, but at those words she stops and turns to look at him.  
  
"What about her?"  
  
"She's…you see, it's a funny story actually, and I'm sure that in a couple of days we're all going to have a good laugh about it…"  
  
"Louis, I'm short on time, and my patience is not far behind that. What about Mrs. Rostovsky?"  
  
"She's…"  
  
"…in my office, waiting for you."  
  
All three of them turn to find Harvey walking up towards them, hands in his pockets and a smug smile on his face. Jessica frowns at him.  
  
"I thought I had instructed Chloe to give her a tour to get to know some of the partners, and to meet me in my office afterwards?"  
  
Harvey gives her a disarming smile. "I know, and your instructions were flawless as usual. There was merely a little change of plans, due to some…circumstances. As Louis said, it's a funny story and I'm sure he's going to tell you all about it later. You'll be in stitches, I assure you."  
  
"Why is Mrs. Rostovsky in your office?" Louis all but growls, but all he receives in return is another smug smile.  
  
"That's another funny story, and I would have called you, I really would, but I had to find Mike first, and then I had to do some actual work. You know the drill – wooing clients, smoothing ruffled feathers, finding a missing person or two, all in a day's work."  
  
"That's quite enough," Jessica interrupts. She turns to regard both men with a sharp look. "You are going to fill me in on the whole story later. For now, I'd like to be punctual for my appointment with Mrs. Rostovsky."  
  
Harvey steps to the side and gestures down the corridor with a swoop of his arm. "Of course. As I said, she's waiting for you in my office. Normally I would suggest relocating this meeting to your office, but as it is Mrs. Rostovsky has made herself quite at home already."  
  
Jessica raises one eyebrow at Harvey, but then apparently decides to take things at face value for now and get to the bottom of things later.  
  
"All right, then we'd better not keep her waiting for any longer."  
  
She sets off down the corridor with Harvey falling into step beside her and Louis and Kyle following suit. It's just a short trek; they reach the office in a matter of minutes, and Harvey smiles smugly as both Jessica and Louis stop short at the sight that greets them there.  
  
Both Mrs. Rostovsky as well as Mrs. Ross are seated on Harvey's leather couch, cups of tea and a half-empty plate of cookies set on the table in front of them. Mike is sitting on the chair beside the couch, cheeks reddened slightly in embarrassment at whatever story Mrs. Ross is regaling at the moment. Mrs. Rostovsky is laughing, a sound that is clearly audible over the soft jazz piece that is playing in the background. Donna is standing between the door and her desk, watching the scene in front of her with a fond smile on her face.  
  
Jessica looks first at Donna, then at Harvey and Louis again, but when no explanation is forthcoming from either she shakes her head in bemusement and opens the door.  
  
"Mrs. Rostovsky, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. I'm Jessica Pearson."  
  
Mrs. Rostovsky makes a move to get up from the couch, but Jessica gestures for her to remain seated and walks over to shake her hand.  
  
"Miss Pearson, the pleasure is all mine."  
  
Mike has gotten up from his seat the moment Jessica entered the office, and she now sits down on the vacated chair at Mrs. Rostovsky's side.  
  
"My apologies if your visit here didn't go quite as planned."  
  
Mrs. Rostovsky shakes her head. "I'm the one who has to apologize. Apparently, Mary and me caused a bit of a confusion with our arrival."  
  
Jessica looks over towards the second elderly woman on the couch, who immediately perks up.  
  
"Mary Ross, I'm Mike's grandmother. It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Pearson."  
  
"Likewise, Mrs. Ross." Jessica still seems confused, but manages to overplay it as she turns back towards Mrs. Rostovsky. "Now, I'm sorry that your visit here was thrown off schedule like that. Maybe I can show you around the firm now and introduce you to some of the other partners, and we'll sit down and have a talk about the future of your account with us afterwards."  
  
"That's a very generous offer, Miss Pearson, but I don't think it will be necessary."  
  
Jessica immediately sits up straighter and her posture becomes defensive. "Mrs. Rostovsky, I assure you that whatever mix-up happened today is not representative of how we at Pearson Hardman handle our client affairs. We take great care to make sure that our clients…"  
  
"Oh no, Miss Pearson, that's not at all what I meant. I'm not thinking about leaving the firm. Your people have been taking very good care of me, and in hindsight that little mix-up has been highly entertaining, even though I'm sorry if we caused anybody grief. What I was trying to say is that you don't need to bother anybody else because I already made my decision as to who I want to handle my account in the future."  
  
Jessica raises both eyebrows. "You did? Are you sure you don't want to meet any of the other partners?"  
  
"I am. I'm sure that all the lawyers working for this firm would be more than competent for the job. But someone," she flashes Mike a grateful smile, "has given me the advice to listen to my gut feeling, and I have to say that it's been a very good piece of advice. Mr. Ross has been taking very good care of me even though he had far more important things to deal with at the time, and Mr. Specter has been more than gracious. I've only been here for an hour, but from what I've heard and seen during that time, I'd really feel most comfortable if Mr. Specter were to handle my account in the future."  
  
Jessica inclines her head at Mrs. Rostovsky. "Of course, if that's what you want."  
  
"It is. Only if Mr. Specter agrees, of course."  
  
"It would be my pleasure," Harvey says from his position beside his desk. "It would be a shame to let such a charming lady with such a fine taste in music slip through my fingers."  
  
Mrs. Rostovsky chuckles, and a slight blush rises on her cheeks. "Wonderful."  
  
Jessica scoots forward in her seat. "There are some details we still need to go through, and some paperwork that needs to be set up. We can talk about all this in my office, if you'd like."  
  
"Actually, if you don't mind Miss Pearson, I'd be grateful if we could continue this conversation over lunch. My doctor insists that I keep a regular eating schedule, and I know I've been keeping Mary and her grandson from the lunch they had planned. I would like to invite all of you to lunch, if you can recommend a good restaurant in the vicinity. We can continue to talk there."  
  
Jessica nods. "There is a wonderful Italian place just a block away that serves a very good lunch menu. I will see that we get a reservation there."  
  
"Already on it," Donna says and leaves the office to make the reservation from her phone. Jessica gets up from her seat and smoothes down her skirt.  
  
"I need to make a quick stop in my office first, but I'll meet you at the elevators in a few minutes. Mrs. Ross, Mrs. Rostovsky, it's been a pleasure, and I'm glad this meeting came to such a satisfactory end despite all the confusion."  
  
"The pleasure has been all mine."  
  
Jessica leaves Harvey's office, stopping by Donna's desk for a moment to confirm the time of the restaurant reservation. Once she is gone, the women pick up their conversation again and Harvey turns towards Louis, the smug smile firmly back on his face.  
  
"I know we have a ' _lost and found_ ' box at the reception desk, but somehow I really couldn't bring myself to take Mrs. Rostovsky there. She's such a wonderful and entertaining person."  
  
"You…this…" Louis raises a hand and waves a threatening finger around in front of Harvey's face, but words seem to fail him. "You planned all this!"  
  
"No, I didn't. What I did do, however, was take your screw-up and turn it into a success. And look – it's only noon and already my day is made."  
  
Louis growls. "This isn't over yet."  
  
"No, it definitely isn't. There's so many billables from this account in my immediate future that I'm going to think back to this day fondly for a long time to come. And now if you'll excuse me, Mike and I have to take these two charming ladies out for lunch. I'm sure you can find something else to occupy your time while we're gone. Maybe you should ask around if someone lost something, I hear you're great at finding things."  
  
He pats Louis's shoulder once then moves over towards the sofa where he offers Mrs. Rostovsky his arm and helps her get up. Louis keeps watching him for a second or two, then he huffs out a breath that is almost an angry growl and pulls Kyle out of the office by the sleeve of his suit jacket.  
  
"Louis, I'm sorry, but how was I supposed to know that there'd be _two_ old ladies coming to the firm at the same time…"  
  
"A good lawyer always anticipates the unexpected. A good lawyer makes sure he knows who he's talking to. Apparently, there's a lot you still have to learn about being a lawyer, and we're going to start right now."  
  
Kyle looks almost panicked as Louis lets go of his sleeve but snaps his fingers and gestures for him to follow him down the corridor.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean that apparently some ground work is going to do you good, and I've got just the thing. Remember the Bartovic briefs?"  
  
Kyle gulps. "The 6.000 page briefs that need to be proofed until the day after tomorrow?"  
  
A shark-like smile spreads on Louis' face, and Kyle feels his stomach drop. "Those exactly. I was planning on giving them to Mike, but seeing that he's going to be busy with the new client he snatched away from right under your nose, it'll be a good way for you to start redeeming yourself. I hope you didn't make any plans for tonight, because I assume it's going to take you all night and all of tomorrow to go through them. And now hurry along, I don't think you have any time to lose."  
  
Kyle's steps falter, but Louis merely snaps his fingers again and he continues down the corridor as behind him Mike and Harvey leave Harvey's office with Harvey's grandmother and Mrs. Rostovsky in tow to go to their lunch meeting.  
  
Kyle sighs. It's going to be a long day, and an even longer night.  
  
  
  
 ** _The End_**


End file.
